Pennypack Park: Trails and Access from Northeast Philadelphia

Pennypack Park is in Northeast Philadelphia, and its several access points let you choose where to enter. The park follows the creek for about eight miles within Philadelphia.

Its address is 8500 Pine Road, though trail parking locations include 8750 Pine Road and the intersection of Rhawn Street and Holmehurst Avenue. For a wider look at local travel, how to get around Philadelphia from the Northeast covers options beyond the park.

From WoodSpring Suites, the park is about 4.0 miles away.

Pennypack Park has paved and unpaved trails for hiking, biking, running, and horseback riding. The Pennypack Trail extends 16.8 miles through Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, with surfaces that include asphalt, boardwalk, cinder, and crushed stone.

The park covers more than 1,600 acres, with woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and fields. As you plan a walk or ride, keep in mind that some trail uses have specific rules: bicycles must stay on existing sidewalks, footwalks, or designated trails where permitted, and are not allowed on grass.

For another Northeast Philadelphia outing, what to know about visiting Benjamin Rush State Park includes access and trail details for that park.

The park’s history is tied to the creek. Established in 1905 to protect Pennypack Creek and the surrounding land, it also contains historic remnants of the area’s former industrial center. A grist mill used the creek for power as early as 1690.

Philadelphia parking for the Pennypack Trail is available at 8750 Pine Road and at Rhawn Street and Holmehurst Avenue. You can use either location as a starting point, then follow the trail network from that access area.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation requires a permit for using the park’s soft trails by bicycle, horse, carriage, horse-drawn vehicle, or another non-motorized wheeled vehicle. The permit fee for non-Philadelphia residents is $35. Dogs and other pets must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet on city trails.

Motor vehicles are prohibited on all trails, and swimming is prohibited in rivers, creeks, and streams.

Pennypack Park trails are open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. The Pine Road and Rhawn Street parking lots have separate operating hours that change by season: 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. from November 1 through March 31, and 6:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. from April 1 through October 31.

Because lot hours and permit requirements can affect your plans, check the official site before you go. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation provides the park’s trail and permit rules.

Start by choosing an entrance that fits the trail section you want to use, then check whether the activity requires a permit. If you plan to drive, match your arrival time to the seasonal hours at the Pine Road or Rhawn Street lot. The two-star hotel in Northeast Philadelphia is about 4.0 miles from the park.